Dual lid closure mechanism

ABSTRACT

A cooler includes an enclosure having a first opening having an external pin extending outwards from a pin side of the enclosure; a lid having a second opening adapted to seal the first opening when closed to form a cavity at least partially within the enclosure; and at least one hinge attaching a hinge side of the enclosure to a hinge side of the lid, wherein the hinge side is opposite the pin side, the lid has at least one hingeless latch having a pin indentation that opens towards the cavity, the hingeless latch extends past the first opening when closed, the hingeless latch has a bias to push inward towards the cavity when the pin comes in registration with the pin indentation, and the bias allows retraction of the latch from the pin in order to allow the latch to become disengaged from the pin for travel at least axially from the pin.

BACKGROUND 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a closure mechanism and method, and more specifically, but not limited to attachment and detachment of a lid to a recreational cooler.

2. Description of Related Art

Coolers must perform several basic functions. A cooler must have an opening to add items that can be sealed against the outside environment. Additionally, the material from which a cooler is made, must operate as an insulator to maintain a heat differential between inside and outside the cooler.

The opening, in many cases, is a broad rectangular opening in a box-like enclosure. The opening is sealed by putting a lid on the enclosure. More complex coolers are built to be carried in flatbed trucks and other environments where winds can be a factor. Accordingly, some method to secure a lid, against at least the forces of wind, is required. Nevertheless, a reduced part count for any securing mechanism can help to keep manufacturing costs low. Some or all of these situations can be ameliorated by one or more of the embodiments described below.

SUMMARY

Disclosed is a latch for engaging a lid to a corresponding pin having a pin detent on an enclosure. An elongated body having an affixed end and a distal end, allows the affixed end to be affixed to the lid, wherein the elongated body is flat but extends outwards from the lid to a distal end. The elongated body comprises a top surface and a bottom surface substantially parallel thereto, and the bottom surface has a pin indentation for guiding the latch into engagement. A lid may be fastened to a hinge. The top surface and bottom surface are substantially tangent to an arc centered on the hinge axis. The pin indentation is aligned along a center perpendicular to the bottom surface, wherein the pin indentation comprises: a cylinder portion proximal to an opening in the bottom surface and a shoulder distal to the bottom surface. The shoulder provides a cavity with a radius wider than a radius of the cylinder portion, and concentric to an axis with the cylinder portion. The cylinder portion corresponds to a pin detent and is narrower than an outer radius of the pin detent so as to provide continuous friction during insertion of the pin relative to the pin indentation at least until the pin detent reaches the shoulder.

A further embodiment can be a planar latch for engaging a lid to a corresponding pin having a discontinuous cylinder, the pin extending from an outer surface of an enclosure. The latch may be an elongated body comprising a substantially flat top surface and a substantially flat bottom surface parallel therewith. The bottom surface faces towards a space partially enclosed by the lid and the top surface faces away from the space. The bottom surface can have a cylindrical indentation having a cylinder cavity proximal to an opening in the bottom surface and a discontinuity at a recessed end of the cylinder, such that the discontinuity corresponds to a pin detent to form a detent to resist axial movement of the pin placed therein.

Still a further embodiment can be a cooler. The cooler can include an enclosure having a first opening having an external pin extending outwards from a pin side of the enclosure and a lid having a second opening adapted to seal the first opening when closed to form a cavity at least partially within the enclosure. The lid may be connected to the enclosure using at least one hinge attaching a hinge side of the enclosure to a hinge side of the lid. The hinge side can be opposite the pin side. The lid may have at least one hingeless latch having a pin indentation that opens towards the cavity. The hingeless latch may extend past the first opening when closed. The hingeless latch has a bias to push inward towards the cavity when the pin comes in registration with the pin indentation. The bias allows retraction of the latch from the pin in order to allow the latch to become disengaged from the pin for travel at least axially from the pin.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features believed characteristic of the embodiments of the present application are set forth in the appended claims. However, the embodiments themselves, as well as a preferred mode of use, and further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is orthogonal projection of an opened cooler having latches arranged along a side, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2A is an elevation view of a fully closed cooler with a pin aligned with and seated within a hole of the latch, corresponding with FIG. 2C, in accordance with an through-hole embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of a part closed cooler with latch initially contacting a pin, in accordance with an through-hole embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view of a fully closed cooler with latch aligned with and seated within hole of the latch, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3A an elevation view of a fully closed cooler with latch aligned with and seated within an indentation of the latch, corresponding with FIG. 3B, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of a latch having a pin indentation in registration with a pin, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4A is an elevation view of a fully closed cooler with a latch aligned with and seated within an indentation of the latch, corresponding with FIG. 4B, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of a latch having a capped through-hole with a pin in registration with a shoulder, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

While the system and method of use of the present application is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiment disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present application as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Illustrative embodiments of the system and method of use of the present application are provided below. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions will be made to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

The system and method of use will be understood, both as to its structure and operation, from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description. Several embodiments of the system are presented herein. It should be understood that various components, parts, and features of the different embodiments may be combined together and/or interchanged with one another, all of which are within the scope of the present application, even though not all variations and particular embodiments are shown in the drawings. It should also be understood that the mixing and matching of features, elements, and/or functions between various embodiments is expressly contemplated herein so that one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate from this disclosure that the features, elements, and/or functions of one embodiment may be incorporated into another embodiment as appropriate, unless described otherwise.

The preferred embodiment herein described is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. It is chosen and described to explain the principles of the invention and its application and practical use to enable others skilled in the art to follow its teachings.

FIG. 1 is orthogonal projection of an opened cooler having latches arranged along a side, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Cooler 100 comprises two chief parts, namely, enclosure 101 and lid 151 which are adapted for closure, one upon the other, along a generally rectangular opening in enclosure 101. When closed, the inside is a cavity which is isolated optionally through the use of seals and/or interlocking shoulders of the lid and enclosure. Enclosure 101 and lid 151 can be secured through the use of a hinge 121, about which the lid 151 rotates versus enclosure 101. Hinge 121 may be a flexible plastic strip. The hinge can bend through the range of motion of the lid. It is appreciated, that the hinge, may be assembled from, for example, a knuckle and pin arrangement; and the like. Plural hinges can be used if desired.

FIG. 1 shows two pins 107, 109 projecting outwards from outer surface 105 of enclosure 101. Enclosure 101, hinge 121, lid 151, hingeless latches 157, 159 and pins 107, 109 cooperate together to allow lid 151 to seal against enclosure 101. Enclosure 101 can be, for example, a generally rectangular opening to form a cavity. The seal can be arranged to include gaskets and/or shoulders to isolate the cavity from the ambient air. Hingeless latches are made from a flexible material that allows for a distal end to each latch to flex through several degrees of motion to permit travel of the distal end and intermediate hole/indent outwards and inwards relative to the outer surface 105. Such movements can bring a hole and/or indent of each hingeless latch into and out of alignment with a respective pin, thereby securing or releasing the lid from a closed position. A hingeless latch remains hingeless despite a hinge being present on a lid portion, where the lid portion is remote from the hingeless latch. Accordingly, hingeless latches 157, 159 remain accurately described as ‘hingeless’ despite the presence of hinge 121 at an opposite side of lid 151. The hinge is hingeless, because with respect to a fixed end, described below, the body of the hinge can flex to align with a pin with a compressive bias towards the outer side or pin side of enclosure 101. And once the latch and pin are in alignment the pin may enter an indent in the hingeless latch, with the hingeless latch body returning to a more-or-less unbiased state. Although FIG. 1 shows the opening to be rectangular, it is appreciated that other two dimensional shapes may be used instead. These shapes can include, for example, regular polygons, irregular polygons, shapes that include curves and other two dimensional shapes that lie in a plane. Moreover, the opening can be other than two-dimensional, so long as the lid matches and aligns to the enclosure opening.

The various embodiments of the invention secure the hingeless latch to the lid through any one of several processes. For example, the lid and the hingeless latch can be injection molded from a monolithic piece of plastic. Alternatively, the lid can be friction welded to the various embodiments of the hingeless latch, particularly if the hingeless latch and lid are composed of similar plastic formulations. The hingeless latches, in all cases, depend on geometries and materials that allow the hingeless latch to flex with normal human handling. Accordingly, the hingeless latches may be made of plastics, rubbers, and elastomers of all kinds, so long as the latch can return to a largely flattened state when all forces are removed from the body of the latch. In other words, a latch is in the largely flattened state, when some intermediate portion lies in contact with the outer surface 105 and in registration with a corresponding pin. Further modes of attaching various forms of the hingeless latch to a lid are described below.

FIG. 2A is an elevation view of a fully closed cooler with a pin aligned with and seated within a hole 167 of the latch, corresponding with FIG. 2C, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Latch 157 can be, for example, latch 157 of FIG. 1, which is placed opposite a hinge, as depicted in FIG. 1. Affixed end 161 of hingeless latch 157 is affixed to lid 151 which lies in a closed position relative to enclosure 101. Hingeless latch 157 extends past the opening in enclosure 101 and is shown in engagement via pin indentation or hole 167 with pin 107, which is, for example, pin 107 of FIG. 1. Accordingly, a rectangular opening of a lid 151 can be kept in contact with a rectangular opening of enclosure 101. Pin 107 is shown as cylindrical. However, it is appreciated, that the pin 107 may be shaped using any extrusion, of, for example, an ellipse, rectangle, hexagon, etc. A pin indentation is a cavity or hole that may penetrate through a hingeless latch in such a way that a corresponding pin can be admitted therein. Once placed there, the pin and latch cooperate to resist travel of the latch radially from the pin, thereby maintaining closure of the latch relative to a lid attached thereto. As an example of a pin indentation, hole 167 can be placed in engagement to pin 107 to prevent lid 151 from disengaging from enclosure 101. Further embodiments, as explained below, at FIGS. 3A-4B may further allow pin and pin indentation to cooperate to form a detent mechanism so that a pin requires significant force to be placed fully in engagement with or disengagement from the pin indentation, along an axial direction relative to the pin.

FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of a part closed cooler with latch initially contacting a pin, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Lid 151 is above a lip to enclosure 101. Hingeless latch 157 has a top surface 176 and bottom surface 178 such that top surface and bottom surface are substantially tangent to an arc that swings about the hinge or hinges, as per FIG. 1. The lid 151 may be moved with a downward force, for example, by force of gravity, to move hingeless latch 157 generally downward relative to pin 107. Continued progress in this direction can allow a more rigid enclosure 101 and pin 107 to wedge underneath hingeless latch 157 to flex a distal end 177 in progressively more bent positions, until pin 107 can enter hole 167. At the time pin 107 aligns to hole 167, without any intervening force, the hingeless latch has a bias toward the outer surface 105 and/or cavity, and accordingly, descends into engagement with the pin, such that pin 107 extends into hole 167.

FIG. 2C corresponds to FIG. 2A as a cross-sectional view of 2C. The section of FIG. 2A is along a length of hingeless latch 157. FIG. 2A shows width of the hingeless latch 157 can be a distance from one long side of the hingeless latch 157 to another long side of hingeless latch 157. FIG. 2C shows a thickness from a top surface 176 to bottom surface 178. Therein, hingeless latch 157 is engaged via hole 167 to envelope pin 107. Hingeless latch 157 may be fastened via, for example, adhesive 147 to lid 151. Hingeless latch 157 may be fastened in other cases, with, for example, rivets, screws and the like. In the case of screws or rivets, such fasteners may penetrate from top surface 176 to bottom surface 178, and embed further into the lid 151. Alternatively, hingeless latch 157 may be constructed from a common mold with lid 151, without additional fastening material. Similarly, use of friction welding techniques may bond a latch to a lid by melting and refreezing a material of one or both of the bodies of latch and/or lid.

The portion of hingeless latch 157 that is in direct or indirect contact to lid 151 may remain relatively inflexible, as it is buttressed by the body of lid 151. However, the portion of hingeless latch 157 extending to distal end 177 may have a few degrees of flexibility or spring bias, enough so that it can be raised over and beyond a top end of pin 107 without damage to the body of pin.

The spring bias of hingeless latch maintains engagement until a force sufficient to pry the hingeless latch occurs in a direction outwards from the outer surface. In response to such a force, the spring bias allows retraction of the hingeless latch from the pin 107 in order to allow the hingeless latch, and therefor the lid 151, to become disengaged from the pin for travel at least axially from the pin. Clearly, if two latches are engaged with pins on the lid, then both would require the outward force to simultaneously unseat their respective pins, and release the lid. The width and thickness of the hingeless latch are selected, given biases and elastomeric properties of the material of the hingeless latch, so that movement of the hingeless latch into and out of engagement to pin 107 can be performed by hand, without tools.

FIG. 3A is an elevation view of a fully closed cooler with latch aligned with and seated within an indentation of the latch, corresponding with FIG. 3B, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Lid 351 provides an attaching surface for affixed end 361 of hingeless latch 357, which is an elongated body. Adhesive 347 may fasten affixed end 361 to lid 351. As with the latch of FIG. 2A-C, the affixed end 361 may connect to lid 351 by various fasteners and/or means. The elongated body is flat, but extends outwards from lid 351 to a distal end 377.

FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of a latch having a pin indentation in registration with a pin, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Elongated body 357 has a pin indentation 365 that has a diameter sufficient to admit a pin 307 attached to an enclosure 301. The pin may have a discontinuity or ridge that extends the radius beyond the body of a generally cylindrical pin radius at a distal end of the pin. A pin detent is any form of discontinuity or ridge that cooperates with a compatible pin indentation to contact a shoulder or other feature within a pin indent. Accordingly, the pin detent is present on the male features to matingly engage the corresponding feature in the pin indent. A discontinuous cylinder is a cylinder, for example a pin body, that has an indent or a ridge that provides opportunity for detent interoperation with a corresponding wall of a socket or other hole. The discontinuous cylinder or discontinuity may be a wide portion 308 of the pin. Elongated body 357 may have a diameter that, at least along a portion of the pin indentation, offers resistance to wide portion 308 of the pin. In other words, the portion of the pin indentation that is narrower than the wide portion 308 may deform as the pin's widest section passes there-through, returning to its previous shape after the wide portion 308 passes through.

The portion of the pin indentation that provides resistance by deforming and returning to its initial shape can be cylindrical. A cylindrical portion is that part of the pin indentation that the may form a main body of the pin indentation. The cylindrical portion or cylinder cavity may cooperate with friction with respect to a pin being engaged or disengaged to the latch. The cylindrical portion may begin at the bottom surface of the latch, and may optionally flare outwards at this location, in order to provide adaptability to a slightly misaligned pin.

Pin indentation may be arranged along an axis that extends perpendicular to the bottom surface of the latch. The pin indentation may have a discontinuity at a recessed end 369. The discontinuity may provide a cavity with a greater radius from a radius of the body of the pin indentation that is proximal to a bottom surface. The discontinuity can provide a shoulder that cooperates to the pin discontinuity, for example, wide portion 308 of the pin to resist retraction of the pin from full insertion to the pin indentation. Wide portion 308 may be an annular shoulder that provides a cavity in which a ridge on the pin may fit. Accordingly, further travel of the pin's widest section, during retraction and disengagement axial to the pin, will be resisted by the pin's widest section contacting all or most of a circumference of the shoulder and narrower portions of the pin indentation. Accordingly, a shoulder can form an internal detent within the pin indentation, at least with respect to a corresponding detent in the pin, namely, for example, wide portion 308. Alternative embodiments may provide a reverse arrangement, where the pin has an annular recess, and the wide portion is replaced by an annular extension from the body into the cylinder cavity.

Accordingly, cooperation of pin 307 with pin indentation 365 resists upwards movement of lid 351 once pin enters, even partially, pin indentation 365. Further, once pin 307 fully seats within pin indentation, wide portion 308 may fit, without compression of surrounding latch material, thereby resisting disengagement of the pin from the pin indentation.

FIG. 4A is an elevation view of a fully closed cooler with a latch aligned with and seated within an indentation of the latch, corresponding with FIG. 4B, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Lid 451 provides an attaching surface for affixed end 461 of hingeless latch 457, which is an elongated body. The elongated body is flat, but extends outwards from lid 451 to a distal end 477. A pin indentation wall 465 extends from the bottom surface of hingeless latch 457. Cap 481 has an inner wall 483 that allows a distal end of a pin to be placed within. Distal end 477 may have a wide portion 408 that fits within inner wall 483 but provides frictional resistance versus pin indentation 465.

FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of a latch having a capped through-hole with a pin in registration with a shoulder corresponding with FIG. 4A, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Elongated body has a pin indentation that has a diameter sufficient to admit a pin 407 attached to an enclosure 401. Elongated body may have a pin indentation diameter that, at least along a portion of the pin indentation, offers resistance to a wide portion 408 of the pin. In other words, the pin indentation inner wall 465 that is narrower than the pin's wide portion 408 may deform as the pin's widest section passes there-through. After the wide portion 408 passes through, the inner wall 465 may return to its previous shape. Cap 481 may be friction welded to hingeless latch 457, closing off the opening in the hole that otherwise would be present through the hingeless latch 457.

Distal end 477 may, in an unbiased state, be elevated from the plane of hingeless latch 457. The elevation can facilitate closure of the latch generally over pin 407 when the lip of lid 451 travels downward. Force of pin 407 wedging under hingeless latch 457 may force the latch to extend further outwards from lid 451 until pin 407 is aligned to pin indent wall 465. Accordingly, latches may close, at least with partial engagement between hingeless latch 457 and pin, thereby causing the lid to resist upwards movement relative to enclosure 401. As with the latch of FIG. 2A-C, the latch's affixed end may connect latch 457 to lid 351 by various fasteners and/or means.

Some illustrative embodiments permit a latch to extend over a pin. In some cases, the pin can frictionally engage walls of a cavity or hole so the pin can resist disengagement to the latch. Some embodiments attach a latch's fixed end to a lid, via adhesives, screws, friction welding or other mechanical means. The lid—through cooperation of a hinge in cooperation with a latch and enclosure that supports the pin—can be brought in rigid closure to the enclosure. Accordingly, for a lid so secured, disengagement of the lid can occur by two operations. First, in embodiments that rely on a detent mechanism, the pin is moved past an initial resistive force created by the detent—generally along an axial direction of the pin. Second, removing the pin, wholly from the corresponding pin indentation, allows the latch to move radially from alignment with the pin, freeing the lid to swing about the hinge. As indicated, embodiments of the latch are immobile with respect to a lid to which the latch is affixed. Any movement, independent of the lid, is limited to flexing of the distal end of the latch, and biased to return to a more flattened position after engagement to the pin. In other words, portions of the respective latch embodiments that are not fastened by adhesive, screws and the like, may bend to allow the distal end to move so that the pin is engaged or disengaged from a corresponding pin indentation.

The particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only, as the embodiments may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein. It is therefore evident that the particular embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified, and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the application. Accordingly, the protection sought herein is as set forth in the description. Although the present embodiments are shown above, they are not limited to just these embodiments, but are amenable to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A cooler comprising: an enclosure having a first opening having an external pin extending outwards from a pin side of the enclosure; a lid having a second opening adapted to seal the first opening when closed to form a cavity at least partially within the enclosure; and at least one hinge attaching a hinge side of the enclosure to a hinge side of the lid, wherein the hinge side is opposite the pin side, wherein the lid has at least one hingeless latch having a pin indentation that opens towards the cavity, wherein the hingeless latch extends past the first opening when closed, wherein the hingeless latch has a bias to push inward towards the cavity when the pin comes in registration with the pin indentation, and wherein the bias allows retraction of the latch from the pin in order to allow the latch to become disengaged from the pin for travel at least axially from the pin.
 2. The cooler of claim 1, wherein the pin indentation has an internal detent; and, wherein the pin has a corresponding detent used to resist axial travel past the internal detent.
 3. The cooler of claim 1, wherein the hingeless latch has a bottom surface, facing the enclosure, and an top surface, facing away from the enclosure, wherein the pin indentation extends from the bottom surface to the top surface such that a shoulder is formed at the top surface to form an external detent; and, wherein the external pin has a corresponding detent used to resist axial travel in relation to the pin indentation.
 4. The cooler of claim 1, wherein the first opening is a first rectangular opening, and the second opening is a second rectangular opening.
 5. The cooler of claim 1, wherein the lid and at least one hingeless latch are injection molded into a single piece.
 6. The cooler of claim 5, wherein the single piece is composed of a monolithic piece of plastic. 